Population dynamics and resilience of green abalone Haliotis fulgens in Isla Natividad

Aim of my thesis project was to evaluate the efficacy of two marine reserves in Isla Natividad (Mexico) as a management tool for the green abalone (Haliotis fulgens) fishery. The first step was to develop and calibrate a demographic for green abalone to describe its dynamic when subjected to exploitation. To do so, I defined a size-based matrix model that allows incorporating information on growth, size-specific survival and size-specific fecundities; specifically, I conducted an extensive literary review to estimate the corresponding vital rates. I also used fishery data collected by fishermen on Isla Natividad to calibrate the model, i.e.to estimate density-dependence in the larval stage and size-dependent fishing mortality. In particular, through this model, I: - examined recent trends in abalone abundance in Isla Natividad and compared the current status of the stock with theoretical carrying capacity; - computed informative fishery reference points such as maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and effort that guarantees the MSY to compare them with current and historical fishery yields and exploitation rates; -assessed the recovery potential of abalone populations and investigate the likely trend of abundances and yields under different exploitation scenarios. Then, I investigated if the reserves can increase, or at least maintain, the catch of abalones in the fishable areas through larval spillover, that is, a net export of larvae during the planktonic stage from the protected toward the unprotected zones. The expected increase in abalone abundance inside the marine reserves and the increase in mean size of sexual mature individuals, in fact, could positively influence the reproductive output of the population with an enhanced production of eggs, which, through larval dispersal, can contribute to the recruitment also in the areas outside the reserve. To explore the likely trends in abundance and catches of these commercially important species both in the short and in the long term, I extended the above-mentioned model formulation by defining a spatially-explicit version of the model. I assumed that the populations were distributed along a linear array of contiguous patches, representing the fishable and the protected blocks along the perimeter of the island. As abalones are sedentary species, I assumed that the connectivity between subpopulations was driven by the exchange of larvae in the planktonic phase. Dispersal kernels for larval movement were defined to describe movement probability between more or less distant patches. In particular, I: - examined the likely trends in abalone abundance and fishery yields catches under different assumptions of reserve establishment (intended as percentage of fishing grounds protected and size of individual no-take areas); - assessed if larval spillover effect can compensate for the decrease in abalone catches due to the reduction of the fishing grounds, and, if yes, after how much time are the benefits likely to occur; -analyzed if the results in terms of population trends and fishery benefits are sensitive to the spatial arrangement of the reserve

daily and seasonal variability of co2 saturation and evasion in a free flowing and in a dammed river reach

The daily and seasonal evolution of O2 and CO2 saturation, water-atmosphere fluxes and budgets were measured in two fluvial reaches of the Mincio River (Italy). The northern reach is free flowing and is dominated by macrophytes while the southern reach is dammed, hypertrophic and phytoplankton dominated. We hypothesized short term regulation of gas saturation and fluxes by primary producers and the reversal of CO2 off-gassing in the southern reach. Results indicated that both reaches were always CO2 supersaturated. Higher CO2 evasion rates in the northern compared to the southern reach depended on reaeration coefficient, in turn depending on water velocity. In the northern reach dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) production was one order of magnitude higher than oxygen consumption, likely due to a combination of anoxic heterotrophic activity in the hyporheic zone and carbonate dissolution. The activity of macrophytes influenced CO2 saturation on short time scales. A net summer abatement of DIC occurred in the southern reach, probably due to fixation by phytoplankton, which attenuated supersaturation but not reversed CO2 efflux. This study demonstrates how in small rivers CO2 evasion can undergo rapid and significant changes due to eutrophication, altered hydrology and shift in primary producer communities

Marine reserves help preserve genetic diversity after impacts derived from climate variability: Lessons from the pink abalone in Baja California

Genetic diversity is crucial for the adaptation of exploited species like the pink abalone (Haliotis corrugata), faced with threats from climate change, overfishing and impacts associated with aquaculture production. While marine reserves are commonly used to mitigate risks to marine populations, the duration, size, location and larval connectivity needed for a reserve to help conserve genetic resources is still poorly understood. Here, we examine the effects of fishing, reserves, and restocking on the genetic diversity of 10 populations from central Baja California, Mexico, and Southern California, USA. We demonstrate that each population shows characteristic genetic signatures according to recent management decisions. We found high allelic diversity, particularly rare alleles, a larger effective population size and a lack of a recent genetic bottleneck in pink abalones within a small (0.8 km2), recently established (5 years) reserve in Baja California, compared to other fished sites after a climatic bottleneck. Higher diversity may result from the presence of older animals in the reserve. Due to its location, the reserve may also act as an important hub connecting distant populations via larval dispersal. In contrast, a population from California showed genetic isolation, loss of allelic diversity and high relatedness, consistent with the collapse of fisheries in the 1990s and their lack of recovery thereafter. In addition, a fished area in Baja California with a history of restocking for over a decade showed an increase in frequency of related individuals and high genetic differentiation from nearby sites that were consistent with the production of larvae from a few adults in the laboratory. A network of strategically placed small marine reserves that considers ocean circulation patterns could help to maintain genetic diversity and connectivity of exploited populations

Lesão por pressão em unidade de terapia intensiva: prevalência e fatores associados em pacientes COVID-19

Objetivo: Determinar a ocorrência de lesões por pressão e identificar fatores de risco associados em pacientes acometidos pela COVID-19 internados em unidade de terapia intensiva.Método: Estudo transversal, retrospectivo com abordagem quantitativa realizado por meio pesquisa documental. Para a amostra selecionou-se 393 prontuários que contemplaram os critérios de inclusão, no período de março de 2020 a março de 2021, de um hospital da região sul brasileira. Os dados foram analisados por meio de análise estatística descritiva, utilizou-se o programa estatístico Bioestat 5.0.Resultados: A prevalência de lesões por pressão em pacientes com COVID-19 foi de 42%, os fatores de riscos associados a lesões foram o tempo de internação, terapia ventilatória e a posição prona com significância (p<0,05).Conclusão: Pacientes com COVID-19 estão sujeitos a diversos fatores não modificáveis que são determinantes no surgimento de lesões por pressão. Portanto, infere-se que as medidas de prevenção devem ser rigorosamente aplicadas nessa população. Palavras-chave: COVID-19. Lesão por pressão. Cuidados críticos. Enfermagem. Unidades de terapia intensiva

Saúde mental na região norte do Rio Grande do Sul: relato de experiência

Objective: to reflect the mental health reality on Rio Grande do Sul's north region. Method: experience report of nursing students involved on the university extension project, bound to the Nursing Course of Universidad de Santa Maria, which accomplished Mental Health forums, having as its target the health professionals of primary care and hospital workers in the Local Health Coordination, students and teachers of the Nursing Course. Results: discussion about the mental health assistance network, maped of the necessities and demands of continuing education, as well as promoted a sharing of experiences between the professionals involved. Conclusion: the realization of these mental health forums was a significant achievement for the consolidation of new actions on the health mental area on Rio Grande do Sul's north region, highlighting the integration between the academic community with the professionals on health servicesObjetivo: reflexionar sobre la realidad de la salud mental en la región norte del Rio Grande do Sul. Método: experiencia de informe de los estudiantes de enfermería que participan en el proyecto de extensión universitaria relacionados con el Curso de Enfermería de la Universidad Federal de Santa María, que realiza los foros de Salud Mental, tiendo como público principal los profesionales de salud de la atención primaria Y hospitalaria, los trabajadores del la Coordinadora de Salud, estudiantes y profesores del Curso de Enfermería. Resultados: discusión de la red de asistencia de la salud mental, plantearon las necesidades Y demandas de educación permanente, bien como el cambio de experiencias entre los profesionales implicados. Las observaciones finales: la realización de foros para la Salud Mental fue un papel importante para la consolidación de nuevas acciones en el campo de la salud mental en la región Norte del Rio Grande do Sul, destacando la integración entre la comunidad académica con los proveedores de servicios de salud.Objetivos: refletir sobre a realidade da saúde mental na região norte do Rio Grande do Sul. Método: relato de experiência de acadêmicos de enfermagem envolvidos em projeto de extensão universitária, vinculado ao Curso de Enfermagem da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, que realizou fóruns de Saúde Mental, tendo como público alvo os profissionais de saúde da atenção básica e hospitalar, trabalhadores da Coordenadoria de Saúde, acadêmicos e professores do Curso de Enfermagem. Resultados: discussão sobre a rede de assistência em saúde mental, levantamento das necessidades e demandas de educação permanente, bem como a troca de experiências entre os profissionais envolvidos. Considerações finais: a realização de fóruns de saúde mental foi uma intervenção significativa para o processo de consolidação de novas ações no campo da saúde mental na Região Norte do Rio Grande do Sul, destacando a integração entre a comunidade acadêmica com os prestadores de serviço da saúde

Daily and seasonal variability of CO2 saturation and evasion in a free flowing and in a dammed river reach

The daily and seasonal evolution of O2 and CO2 saturation, water-atmosphere fluxes and budgets were measured in two fluvial reaches of the Mincio River (Italy). The northern reach is free flowing and is dominated by macrophytes while the southern reach is dammed, hypertrophic and phytoplankton dominated. We hypothesized short term regulation of gas saturation and fluxes by primary producers and the reversal of CO2 off-gassing in the southern reach. Results indicated that both reaches were always CO2 supersaturated. Higher CO2 evasion rates in the northern compared to the southern reach depended on reaeration coefficient, in turn depending on water velocity. In the northern reach dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) production was one order of magnitude higher than oxygen consumption, likely due to a combination of anoxic heterotrophic activity in the hyporheic zone and carbonate dissolution. The activity of macrophytes influenced CO2 saturation on short time scales. A net summer abatement of DIC occurred in the southern reach, probably due to fixation by phytoplankton, which attenuated supersaturation but not reversed CO2 efflux. This study demonstrates how in small rivers CO2 evasion can undergo rapid and significant changes due to eutrophication, altered hydrology and shift in primary producer communities.</p

Looking for hotspots of marine metacommunity connectivity: a methodological framework

Seascape connectivity critically affects the spatiotemporal dynamics of marine metacommunities. Understanding how connectivity patterns emerge from physically and biologically-mediated interactions is therefore crucial to conserve marine ecosystem functions and biodiversity. Here, we develop a set of biophysical models to explore connectivity in assemblages of species belonging to a typical Mediterranean community (Posidonia oceanica meadows) and characterized by different dispersing traits. We propose a novel methodological framework to synthesize species-specific results into a set of community connectivity metrics and show that spatiotemporal variation in magnitude and direction of the connections, as well as interspecific differences in dispersing traits, are key factors structuring community connectivity. We eventually demonstrate how these metrics can be used to characterize the functional role of each marine area in determining patterns of community connectivity at the basin level and to support marine conservation planning

Socioeconomic impacts of marine protected areas in the Mediterranean and Black Seas

The socioeconomic implications of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and perceptions of stakeholders on MPA impacts are important to consider when designing, implementing, and managing MPAs. However, the currently available knowledge about these areas and especially of stakeholder perceptions is scarce and limited to restricted geographic areas. The present study aims to address this gap by examining these factors in the Mediterranean and Black Seas using an extensive literature review and an online survey approach. We collated and examined a total of 208 published studies on socioeconomic impacts of MPAs and marine uses. We found that for fishing, the socioeconomic impacts of MPAs were generally perceived as negative for industrial fishing and positive for artisanal fishing. In the online survey, we collected ca. 100 responses and found that stakeholder perceptions on the impacts of MPAs differ across sectors and regions. Industrial fishing was perceived as being negatively impacted in the Black Sea, while most respondents from the Mediterranean Sea were neutral in their responses relating industrial fishing and MPAs. The impact of MPAs on artisanal and recreational fishing was generally viewed as neutral by respondents from the Black Sea, whereas most Mediterranean respondents indicated a positive impact of MPAs. We also found that perceptions of the major threats to MPAs differed across the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Responses from the Black Sea were systematically shifted towards a more negative perception of threats to MPAs compared to those from the Mediterranean Sea. Illegal fishing and other illegal activities were considered to be the most relevant threats to MPAs by stakeholders in both regions. The mismatch found between evidence of MPA effectiveness and impacts from the scientific literature and the results of our survey suggests that within the framework of maritime spatial planning and ecosystem-based management, effective MPA planning should be informed by multiple sources across regions

Evidence that marine reserves enhance resilience to climatic impacts

Establishment of marine protected areas, including fully protected marine reserves, is one of the few management tools available for local communities to combat the deleterious effect of large scale environmental impacts, including global climate change, on ocean ecosystems. Despite the common hope that reserves play this role, empirical evidence of the effectiveness of local protection against global problems is lacking. Here we show that marine reserves increase the resilience of marine populations to a mass mortality event possibly caused by climate-driven hypoxia. Despite high and widespread adult mortality of benthic invertebrates in Baja California, Mexico, that affected populations both within and outside marine reserves, juvenile replenishment of the species that supports local economies, the pink abalone Haliotis corrugata, remained stable within reserves because of large body size and high egg production of the protected adults. Thus, local protection provided resilience through greater resistance and faster recovery of protected populations. Moreover, this benefit extended to adjacent unprotected areas through larval spillover across the edges of the reserves. While climate change mitigation is being debated, coastal communities have few tools to slow down negative impacts of global environmental shifts. These results show that marine protected areas can provide such protection